Aww Yeah, Here It Is

Here it is! New PR Clean & Jerk. #265! A BIG thanks to Elliot Schrock for putting this video together and just taking the time to do it. I know he's a busy guy, so thank you brother.

Zach Thiel from CrossFit Central on Vimeo.

Refer to the bottom of my Liberation blog post for some background info and pics that Ingrid took of the first PR. My goal is a #300 clean and with this new Clean & Jerk PR I now have a new goal for it. #275! We will see what happens.

Feel free to criticize and coach me up so I can reach my new goal sooner rather than later.

Finland Suspends Swine Flu Shots After Vaccine Linked With Neurological Disorder

Cases of narcolepsy in children jumped 300 per cent following H1N1 vaccination campaign

Why Natural Health?

Because it's about staying well, not controlling symptoms with drugs, says Margaret Durst.

You're Gonna Be Missed

So Pam has been coming to our 5:30am Tuesday/Thursday indoor class for six months and it has been nothing but fun times! She is an amazing athlete and very easy to coach at the same time. That makes her a pleasure to have in class, an instant leader and inspiration to the people around her. Pam has aspirations of tackling a monumental challenge that is going to require a different kind of training and at crazy times. So she is going to be leaving us for a while so she can fulfill her dream of becoming an Iron (Wo)Man!

Here is a little snippet about her time at Central and in our Tuesday/Thursday class.

Gonna miss you Pam and make sure you come back to us after you accomplish your dream!

Pam on the attack!

I started crossfit at Central on March 2nd, 2009 in Lance and JDP's MWF 5:30am class (now Big Mike's..I believe). Well, every year since 2001 I have ran the full Austin Marathon (which I will continue to run until I'm the age of 72 bc my very first marathon a 72 yr old man beat me and I want to beat a 22 year old when I'm 72!). Anyways, this means marathon training with the Gazelle's is the end of Sept through Feb. and it's MWSat at 5:30am so because of training you allowed me to join your 5:30am crew. I fell in love with them. They excepted me right away, just like you. You as my coach: I love your intensity. Whether it's a look or words you know how to push us. You know how to have fun (the jokes, the rants) but when you mean business, you mean business. You give us that tough love but we all know that you care deeply about us and our improvements. I've enjoyed your 5:30am class and you as a coach so much that when marathon season was over I didn't want to go back to MWF crossfit schedule.

Why I love Central: classes are always prompt, I love how all coaches are on the same page...promoting the next big thing, uplifting clients goals and dreams, speaking positive about life, and walking the walk!

As for crossfit and me: I am a better athlete because of it. I am a stronger runner, cyclist and swimmer. Shoot, I can honestly say that this has been the strongest I've been physically since high school (and I plan on getting stronger!) I feel that I have always been mentally strong but crossfit does fuel that strong mental power in my head. It doesn't allow the dumb "I can't" weeds to creep in my mind.

Since March 2009 till now: I started from jumping pull ups to now regular pull ups, from wimpy weights to RX, from push ups on my knees to regular push ups, from 1-3 reg box jumps then step ups to continuous box jumps, and the list goes on. I love crossfit!

I am doing a swim clinic now along with CF. The swim clinic will continue until mid Sept. Sept. 20th I start my marathon training with Gazelle's (MWSat) along with CF (T/TH) and I will add in a swim class (F). Starting in Nov. I will start all my Ironman training. I will hire a coach (already found one that I'm compatible with) and be part of an Ironman training group (T3) but I will also continue with Gazelle's until I run the Austin marathon in Feb. Starting in November - May my weeks will be filled with running, cycling and swimming with 1-2 CF workouts somewhere in there.

Since my contract is up with Central tomorrow I decided that this is a good time to jump into Woodward. This is going to workout with my time, schedule and financially.

4th Amendment Violating Mobil X-Ray Scanners Hit the Streets

As we warned at the beginning of the year, X-ray body scanners currently being used and abused in airports across the world are set to hit the streets as American Science & Engineering reveals that “more than 500 back scatter x-ray scanners mounted in vans that can be driven past neighboring vehicles to see their contents” have been sold to government agencies.

Hey, Got a Licence To Grow That Food?

The War on Food: Eggsactly What Is Going On Here

Liberation

LIBERATOR

*To set free, as from oppression, confinement, or foreign control

*Liberation, the freeing of a place from a tyrannic regime.

This past week my brother Jeremy asked us coaches to come up with a mission statement or a sentence that told our purpose. Over the week I thought long and hard and came up with a word: Liberator

I had to separate myself from my coaching at the gym and all of our athletes and think of the big picture. Why was I put on this earth, what is my purpose given to me by the Creator.

It's no coincidence to me that I am here on this earth at this time in history. Not that I am the next Jesus Christ or anything, but people are hungry for knowledge and know that something is amiss. All my life I knew that I was going to be a leader of something and I believe that I am at the place I am supposed to be. More than ever people want to be liberated from lethargic boring lives. People were created to be free. Free from an inactive lifestyle, a mundane boring office job, from poisonous processed foods, and free from the television set's that decay and destroy the mind. Crossfit's the instrument, you are the player and I'm the drum major.

Not only am I here to help liberate you from your bondage, but I am fighting to lift chains off my own back. To me this goes way further that crossfit. I know some of you probably wonder why I post political articles at the bottom of my blog, and some who read them may think, man this guy's into weired stuff. I just want you to think outside the box. To liberate yourself from the mainstream and think maybe there is a different truth out there. I find myself seeking the truth all the time in all kinds of different places and I just happen to share them with all of you. I would like to think this blog is a place for you all to get a glimpse of my life from out side Crossfit Central and on a personal level. I can be brash, rude and obnoxious sometimes and from what I understand I have earned a interesting reputation from a lot of the athletes in the gym. Some of these things are what hold me back from becoming a level 10 coach and I MUST LIBERATE MYSELF from them! I am open to all and any opinions on how to do that.

And now on to some fitness!

This past Friday I needed to work on some Oly lifts and when for some heavy Clean & Jerks.

3x1 90% of my max lift

Which happen to be #255 at the time, so my three lifts where #230

After knocking thous three lifts out I thought hey let's go for a PR!

And I just happened to have my camera on hand.

So I loaded #260 on the bar and here are the results.

Not to shabby I thought. Then Elliot Schrock walked in and happened to ask me what I was doing and I let him know with a smile on my face that I just set a new C&J PR. He asked if I would like for him to shoot some video of me doing it again and I happily obliged him. But to make it interesting I added a little more weight to the bar and thought why not #265. Video footage coming soon.

I hope you boy's and girls are enjoying the new blog and look for more tabs at the top to be coming soon. I want to be at that level 10 coaching scale and all of your input will help me get there faster so don't be shy!

Dumbing Down Society Part 3: How to Reverse it's Effects

The first two parts of this series describes the negative effects that some commonly consumed chemicals have on the body and brain. This third and final part looks at some natural ways to keep the brain healthy and provides tips to rid the body of dangerous substances. In other words, how to fight back against the dumbing down of society!

We are what we eat!

HFCS – the poison that promotes obesity and liver damage

Two new studies have added more reason for concern that high-fructose corn syrup causes significantly more harm to the body than its mere sugar content would suggest.


GMO Corn and How A Little-Known Supreme Court Case Could Kill Our Grandchildren

GMO corn is dramatically increasing our taxes ($3,975,606,299 in 2009 alone — that’s $12.86 for every man, woman, and child in the USA), as well as destroying the lives of farmers who try to fight it. But it’s far worse than that. It’s actually killing us as well.

Dumbing Down Society Part 2: Mercury in Foods and Vaccines

Even though mercury is known to degenerate brain neurons and disrupt the central nervous system, it is still found in processed foods and mandatory vaccines. In this second part of the series examining the intentional dumbing-down of society, this article will discuss the presence of mercury in common foods and vaccines.

Knowledge Is A Good Thing

The cert. crew sweating it up post WOD.

So this past weekend, several other of the Central coaches and I had the privilege to attend a Crossfit Football Certification. Hands down without a doubt it was the best certification that I have ever attended. The knowledge of Head Coach John Welbourn and the other coaches assisting him with the cert. were by far the most experienced and informed coaches I have ever been around.

Myself and John Welbourn

Not only have these guys been around a plethora of crossfiters but they are sought out and recruited for their training experience by professional athletes from NFL Football, professional track, and professional swimmers alike. If you didn' t know, John Welbourn was a pro football player for 9 years with the Philadelphia Eagles and the Kansas City Chiefs. He participated in the 08 Crossfit Games and owns Crossfit Balboa in Newport Beach, California. I had the privilege of spending some time with John and picking is brain about his life in the NFL and coaching the football certs. He is top notch and has been around some of the most sought after doctors, nutritionist and trainers out there. Basically his life would be a wet dream for any crossfiter out there!

Coach Raphael Ruiz putting us through killer stretches

One of John's crew was Raphael Ruiz who owns 1441 S&C in Tampa, Florida. The wealth of experience and programing that he brings to the table is second to none. The insane stretching and warm ups this guy brought to the table was absolutely crazy and painful. He has worked with guys coming out of college prepping for the NFL combine and pro soccer players associated with MLS.

Let me just sum it up like this, this was the most legit experienced group of coaches I believe I have ever been around. I feel lucky to have been pushed, shouted at and taught by this group of people. I will take what I learned from these guys and implement it into my programing for you guys. Over the past year the wealth of knowledge that I have gained through the certs. that I have been through and implemented into my small group training and my Oly/Strength and Conditioning classes has made me excited. It has brought a passion to my training that I never thought possible and I am proud to be able to pass it on to you guy's and gals.

So, with all that said thanks to John, Raphael, Ben and Katy of the Crossfit Football crew for your hard work and leaving the friendly and not nearly as hot confines of southern California.

Central crew with the football crew. Typical Big Mike!

Dumbing Down Society Part 1: Foods, Beverages and Meds

Australian TV Exposes Fluoride as Poison

The not-so-secret fact that our water supplies are being poisoned by sodium fluoride was discussed on Australian TV. Here’s the video.

Guess where you fluoride comes from? China!

Much of the fluoride added to municipal water supplies across the United States is imported from China, and is contaminated with heavy metals, according to a warning by Bernard Miltenberger, president of the Pure Water Committee of Western Maryland.

Thought I Would Share

First men's heat of the opening night.

So for some reason since coming back from the Crossfit Games I have been in a blogging funk. I really don't know why that is since I had been on such a role with them before we all left for Cali. I just don't know what to say for some reason. So with that said I thought I would just share a few pics from the Games.

Carey and Lindsey scaling the wall on the last workout of the Games.

I also thought some of you would enjoy a pic of myself and little baby Pierce since some of you haven't seen him in a while.

Baby Pierce and I kickin it at the Pub in Laguna.

Also wanted to think everyone that came out to the SicFit Austin Grand Opening this past Saturday! It was a blast and I hope everyone enjoyed themselves. Funny, as I'm typing this several things popped in my head to blog about. Look for a post tomorrow or Friday, Peace!

A Plea for Freedom

In the short term, we have to completely audit the Federal Reserve, shut it down, abolish the individual income tax by repealing the Sixteenth Amendment and let the people—rich or poor—keep their wages that they make. Enough of this “tax anyone making more money than me” nonsense.

The Greatest Speech for Humanity

Back With Vengeance!

Ok, so I clearly have been slipping and have neglected my duties of posting pics and sharing my experiences with all of you. Since returning from the Games I have been slacking, but no more!! I am back on the ball and will resume posting on this blog and sharing with you all not only fitness and life but my weirdo political views as well.

With that said here is an announcement for you all:

Come one! Come all! SICFIT Austin will be celebrating our official grand opening Saturday, August 7th from 2pm-?pm at SICFIT Austin: 2156 Burnet Rd. Austin, TX 78756.

Invite your friends, family and fellow SICFITters and celebrate the start of a new era in strength and conditioning. We will have hot coals burning on the grill and plenty of space to meet and mingle with the community, so BYOB and get ready to sweat in the hot Texas heat… The only remedy?

BBQ and beer!

Hope you all can make it out and share in the excitement we all have for the new box!

Oxford professor calls for drugging water supply

Oxford professor Julian Savulescu says fluoridation demonstrates how populations of the future could be mass-medicated through pharmacological ‘cognitive enhancements’ added to the water supply.

New York Times and Other Media Pushing for Drugging Water Supply

Big Think, a website that interviews scientists and experts in various fields has begun a month-long series called, “Dangerous Ideas” and the first post features drugging the public water supply